Adjuster in the connection path between a shed forming device and a heddle frame

ABSTRACT

A connecting and adjusting device for insertion into the linkage between a control device, as a dobby, and the heddles or heddle frame of the weaving machine. The connecting and adjusting device is insertable between an oscillating lever constituting the output of a dobby and a reciprocable rod connecting same to the input for the lift mechanism for heddle frames of a loom. Said device comprises a body structure having slots therein at substantially right angles to each other. One slot is for the reception of one arm of said lever. In the other slot there is located in same embodiments a loosely positioned slideable bearing block. Said bearing block carries a bearing therein to which is connected the driving end of said connecting rod. An arm projects rigidly from said bearing block and means are provided cooperable with said arm for displacing it from a position in center alignment with said slot. Such displacement affects a jamming of the bearing block within said slot and thereby removing any play which might otherwise exist between said bearing block and the walls of said other slot. Supplemental means may be provided if desired, such as interengaging teeth, for further rigidifying the relationship between said arm or said bearing block and the body portion of said device. Alternatively threaded means may be provided for precisely adjusting the position of a snugly but slidably mounted bearing block within said second slot, which can thus accomplish the desired adjusting without the offsetting and jamming relationship above mentioned. The connection which transfers the movements of a shed-forming device, for example a dobby, onto the associated heddle or the heddle frame of a weaving machine must operate without play, namely on one hand so that the controlled movements are carried out immediately and accurately and on the other hand so that a deflection of the joints does not occur which would lead to cumulative inaccuracies in the sequence of motions. To build the connection of any desired thickness is, however, not possible since the available room is limited by the thickness of the heddle frames which lie side-by-side. In addition, this connection must permit a limited adjustment of the reciprocal position since the shed-forming device is an attachment for a weaving machine and the heddle frames must be adjusted with respect thereto.

United States Patent 1 Kleiner et al.

A HEDDLE FRAME [75] Inventors: Walter Gustav Kleiner, Wadenswil;

Ernst Josef Hoenig, Horgen-Zurich,

both of Switzerland [73] Assignee: Staubli AG, I-Iorgen-Zurich,Switzerland [22] Filed: Sept. 22, 1971v [21] Appl. No; 182,633

' [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 25, 1970 Switzerland14257/70 [52] US. Cl. 139/66'R, 139/88 [51] Int. Cl D03c l/00, D03c13/00 [58] Field of Search 139/66 R, 66 A, 71, 139/82, 88, 84

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,384,124 5/1968 Sherrill139/66 A 1,920,412 8/1933 Lussier 139/88 1,931,269 10/1933 Randall139/66 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 224,034 11/1924 Great Britain139/66 R 14,284 1911 Great Britain.... 139/88 380,680 9/1932 GreatBritainm. 139/66 A 480,465 12/1969 Switzerland 139/88 PrimaryExaminer-James Kee Chi Attorney-Woodhams, Blanchard & Flynn [57]ABSTRACT A connecting and adjusting device for insertion into thelinkage between a control device, as a dobby, and the heddles or heddleframe of the weaving machine. The connecting and adjusting device isinsertable between an oscillating lever constituting the output of adobby 1 1 June 26, 1973 and a reciprocable rod connecting same to theinput of the lift mechanism for heddle frames of a loom. Said devicecomprises a body structure having slots therein at substantially rightangles to each other. One slot is for the reception of one arm of saidlever. In the other slot there is located in same embodiments a looselypositioned slideable bearing blockt Said bearing block carries a bearingtherein to which is connected the driving end of said connecting rod. Anarm projects rigidly from said bearing block and means are providedcooperable with said arm for displacing it from a position in centeralignment with said slot. Such displacement affects a jamming of thebearing block within said slot and thereby removing any play which mightotherwise exist between said bearing block and the walls of said otherslot. Supplemental means may be provided if desired, such asinterengaging teeth, for further rigidifying the relationship betweensaid arm or said bearing block and the body portion of said device.Alternatively threaded means may be provided for precisely adjusting theposition of a snugly but slidably mounted bearing block within saidsecond slot, which can thus accomplish the desired adjusting without theoffsetting and jamming relationship above mentioned.

The connection which transfers the movements of a shed-forming device,for example a dobby, onto the associated heddle or the heddle frame of aweaving machine must operate without play, namely on one hand so thatthe controlled movements are carried out immediately and accurately andon the other hand so that a deflection of the joints does not occurwhich would lead to cumulative inaccuracies in the sequence of motions.To build the connection of any desired thickness is, however, notpossible since the available room is limited by the thickness of theheddle frames which lie side-by-side. In addition, this connection mustpermit a limited adjustment of the reciprocal position since theshed-forming device is an attachment for a weaving machine and theheddle frames must be adjusted with respect thereto.

14 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures 14 I6 15 13 n 9 1s I11 J *1 l m m 1 x o J 9I 1 I9 5 m 16 15 8 no 5 7 PATENTED JUN 2 8 I973 sum: or 4 ML, 1M;

ADJUSTER IN THE CONNECTION PATH BETWEENA SHED-FORMING DEVICE AND AHEDDLE FRAME The invention relates to an adjusting device in theconnection path, or linkage, between the oscillating output member of ashed-forming device and a heddle frame or a heddle of a weaving machine.In such device an adjusting lever is mounted movably and fixably on theoutput member and has a pivot bearing for the connecting rod to theheddle frame mechanism. The device transforms the oscillatory motion ofthe output member into an approximately rectilinearly extendingreciprocal motion and permits the matching and adjusting of theshed-forming device and heddle frame or heddle, namely, with respect tothe work path to be described and the distance. It is thereby necessaryto make the adjustment on the side of the output member facing away fromthe connecting rod.

The objective of the invention is to provide such a device which issmall enough in thickness to be within the spacing of successive heddleframes, which permits within a simple manner an adjustment in twodirections and which transmits without play into different directionsthe forces which interchangeably act thereon.

One embodiment of the invention is characterized by the presence of aslot in the adjusting lever which slot extends transversely to theoutput member and in which slot a block carrying the bearing is movablypositioned, and means are arranged accessible from the side facing awayfrom the connecting rod for adjusting and securing in position thebearing carrying block.

Various exemplary embodiments of the subject matter of the invention areillustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of one arrangement of an adjuster,

FIG. 2 is a side view of the adjusting lever with the sidewall omitted,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view according to the line III-III in FIG. 2but with the sidewall present,

FIG. 4 is a front view of a second embodiment corresponding to FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment,

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of same according to the line VIVI,

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of same according to the line VII-VIIin FIG. 5, and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment.

Lever drives 1 are on one side hingedly connected to the heddle frame 2of a weaving machine and on the other side are hingedly connected to anot illustrated shed-forming control device or dobby, through theconnecting rod 3, the bearing 7, the adjusting connector 5 sliding onthe rail 6, whereby the rail 6 forms a part of an output lever 4 of saidshed-forming device. Movement of the output lever 4 about its suspensionpoint 10 through an angle identified with a, results in the movement Aof the heddle frame needed for the weaving operation, namely lift of theheddle frame to effect its up and down movement. The magnitude of a isdetermined by the structure of the shed-forming device. lf now theheddle frame lift A is to be increased, it is sufficient to move theadjusting connector 5 in direction B on the rail 6. For the purpose ofreducing the amount of the heddle frame lift A, the connector 5 may bemoved in direction C. An adjustment of the heddle frame 2 must not onlytake place with respect to its lift A but the heddle frame must also beadjustable with respect to its basic position. This can be achieved bymoving the bearing 7 in the adjusting connector 5 in direction D or E.

As is known the thickness of the heddle frames, the so-called division,is calibrated (normalized) and is maintained as small as possible sothat as many heddle frames as possible will find room in the weavingmachine. The entire shed-forming device and thus also the adjustingdevice of the invention must be provided within this division. Thisrequires particular arrangements of the adjusting and securing membersas they are described as examples of the invention in the followingdiscussion of various embodiments. Similar parts have the same referencenumerals.

According to FIGS. 2 and 3 the adjusting connector 5 has a guide slot 8into which the rail is placed and at a right angle thereto a slot 9which extends on both sides of the guide 8 and in which on one side arepositioned the bearing block 17 carrying the bearing 7 and from whichblock projects the arm 13.

The bearing block 17 is not provided with a sliding fit with respect tothe slot 9 but it is constructed slightly narrower. One narrow side ofthe arm 13 and the wall of the slot 9 cooperating therewith have eachteeth 19 corresponding to a rack.

The part 15 of the guide 8 behind which there is the slot 16 is heldagainst the lever arm 6 (FIG. 1) by means of the retaining nut 14. Asurface pressure is obtained on the lever arm 6 by the part 15 whichprevents the lever arm from being damaged by impressions of theretaining nut.

In order to achieve a distortion-free transfer of the movement of theshift lever 4 onto the heddle frame 2, the bearing 7 is arranged withrespect to the lever arm 6 on the same side as the pivot point 10 of theshift lever 4. After adjustment of the basic position of the heddleframe by moving the bearing block 17 and thus also the bearing 7 in theslot 9, the arm 13 is swung from the center axis of the slot 9 bytightening the screw 18 which causes the teeth 19 to engage. A slighttipping of the bearing block 17 in the slot 9 on its edge 40 takes placeat the same time which results in its jamming in the slot.'This jammingof the bearing block assumes that no play will exist in the transversedirection of the slot while the engagement of the teeth 19 assures thatno play will exist in the longitudinal direction of the slot.

Thus by using the illustrated adjuster the invention provides that l.the adjusting lever is moved on the lever arm from the side facing awayfrom connecting rod and 2. is blocked without any damage from the sidefacing away from the connecting rod by the retaining nut 14;

3. the adjusted bearing is fixed without play in the reciprocatingdirection of the connecting rod 3 and so fixed also from the side facingaway from the connecting rod by means of the screw 18 and the teeth 19,and

4. at the same time any clearance provided between the bearing block 17and the slot 9 is negated.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 4 the numeral 8 again refers to theguide for the arm of the adjusting lever 5, 9 refers to the slot whichextends transversely thereto, 17 identifies the bearing block with thebearing 7 of the connecting rod 3 and 13 refers to an arm projectingfrom the bearing block. The swinging of the arm with the bearing blockaway from the axis of the slot is also accomplished through the screw18. The teeth 29 which are provided on the bearing block and on the wallof the slot engage at the swinging motion of the bearing block andresult in the no-clearance locking in the axial direction of the slot orin the longitudinal direction of the connecting rod 3.

According to FIGS. -7, the threaded nut is arranged on the arm 23 andthe threaded nut 25 is arranged on the wall of the slot 9, into which isscrewed the threaded bolt 26. Said bolt 26 has both a right and lefthand thread. The threaded nuts 20 and 25 have each a lateral slot 28 sothat as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 during tightening of the screws 18,the threaded nut 20 is clamped into a no-play relationship on and to thebolt due to the bearing of the arm 23 onto the wall 30 of the slot 9.The same happens with the threaded nut 25 on which the arm 23 rests.Simultaneous with the downward pressing of the arm 23 a displacement ofthe bearing block 17 takes place which effects a jamming and thus acancellation of any play in the slot 9. Here too, all adjusting stepsare taken within the division from the side of the adjusting connector 5which side faces away from the connecting rod, namely, clamping the railin the guide 8 by means of the screws 14, adjusting of the bearing 7with respect to said rail by means of the screw bolt 26 and tensioningof the bearing block 17 in the slot 9 by means of the screws 18.

In the variation of construction of FIG. 8 there is still the adjustingconnector 5 in which the slot 9 extends transversely to the guide 8 forthe arm 6 of lever 4. The bearing block 17 with arm 33 projectingtherefrom is supported at one side of the guide 8 in slot 9 and at theother side of said guide the arm 33 is supported in and on the slideblock 34. The adjusting screw 36 is supported in the block 34 andextends through the thread 39 of the adjusting connector 5. By rotatingthe screw 36 the position of the bearing 7 can be adjusted.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In an adjusting device for use between an elongated output lever of adobby and a heddle frame mechanism, said adjusting device having meansdefining a pivot bearing for pivotably supporting a connecting rodutilized for connecting said adjusting device to said heddle framemechanism, the improvement comprising:

said adjusting device having an elongated body, the

' longitudinal axis of which extends transversely to the longitudinalaxis of said output lever, said body having means defining an elongatedslot thereon extending generally parallel to said longitudinal I axis,said pivot bearing means being slidably received in said elongated slotadjacent one end, said connecting rod extending away from said body andsaid one end;

adjustable means mounted on said body adjacent an end thereof remotefrom said pivot bearing means and said connecting rod and connected tosaid pivot bearing means for adjusting and locking the relativelongitudinal position of said pivot bearing means in said slot andthereby the position of said connecting rod relative to heddle framemechanism.

2. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said adjustable meansconsists of an arm projecting from said pivot bearing means positionedin said slot, said arm extending transversely across said body andlocking means on said body remote from pivot bearing means connected tosaid arm for effecting a locking engagement of said arm to said body.

3. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said locking meansincludes means for effecting a displacement of said pivot bearing meanswith respect to said longitudinal axis of said slot.

4. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said pivot bearingmeans comprises a bearing block slidably received in said slot and anarm secured to said bearing block and extending outwardly therefrom andterminating adjacent said remote end.

5. The improvement according to claim 4 wherein said bearing block istiltably received in said slot.

6. The improvement according to claim 5 wherein one of said bearingblock and said arm has teeth on a side facing a wall of said slot andsaid wall of said slot at a corresponding location is also provided withsimilar teeth engageable with said teeth on one of said bearing blockand said arm.

7. The improvement according to claim 4 wherein said body issubstantially longer than it is wide and wherein said locking meanscomprises at least one screw secured in a wall of said slot and engagessaid arm can be operated from the narrow side of said body.

8. The improvement according to claim 4, wherein said body has athreaded nut adjacent said remote end, said threaded nut being engagedby an adjusting screw which engages at least one of said arm and saidbearing block to effect a movement of said bearing block longitudinallyof said slot.

9. The improvement according to claim 8, wherein at least one of saidbearing block and said arm has a second threaded nut thereon, saidsecond threaded nut being engaged by said adjusting screw.

10. The improvement according to claim 9, wherein said second threadednut has a longitudinally extending slot therein to define a clampingmeans acting onto said second threaded nut.

11. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said body has meansdefining a guide surface thereon for guiding said adjusting device formovement relative to said output lever and means for securing saidadjusting device to said output lever.

12. The improvement according to claim 1 1, wherein said securing meanscomprises means for urging said guide surface means into a frictionalengagement with said output lever.

13. The improvement according to claim 1 1, wherein said guide surfacemeans comprises a guide surface and means defining a second slot whichis arranged behind said guide surface and extends parallel thereto, saidguide surface being flexible into and out of said frictional engagementwith said output lever.

14. The improvement according to claim 4, wherein said arm comprises apair of spaced and parallel arms attached to said bearing block, saidoutput lever being received between said arms and movable with respectthereto.

l l i II I

1. In an adjustIng device for use between an elongated output lever of adobby and a heddle frame mechanism, said adjusting device having meansdefining a pivot bearing for pivotably supporting a connecting rodutilized for connecting said adjusting device to said heddle framemechanism, the improvement comprising: said adjusting device having anelongated body, the longitudinal axis of which extends transversely tothe longitudinal axis of said output lever, said body having meansdefining an elongated slot thereon extending generally parallel to saidlongitudinal axis, said pivot bearing means being slidably received insaid elongated slot adjacent one end, said connecting rod extending awayfrom said body and said one end; adjustable means mounted on said bodyadjacent an end thereof remote from said pivot bearing means and saidconnecting rod and connected to said pivot bearing means for adjustingand locking the relative longitudinal position of said pivot bearingmeans in said slot and thereby the position of said connecting rodrelative to heddle frame mechanism.
 2. The improvement according toclaim 1, wherein said adjustable means consists of an arm projectingfrom said pivot bearing means positioned in said slot, said armextending transversely across said body and locking means on said bodyremote from pivot bearing means connected to said arm for effecting alocking engagement of said arm to said body.
 3. The improvementaccording to claim 2, wherein said locking means includes means foreffecting a displacement of said pivot bearing means with respect tosaid longitudinal axis of said slot.
 4. The improvement according toclaim 1, wherein said pivot bearing means comprises a bearing blockslidably received in said slot and an arm secured to said bearing blockand extending outwardly therefrom and terminating adjacent said remoteend.
 5. The improvement according to claim 4 wherein said bearing blockis tiltably received in said slot.
 6. The improvement according to claim5 wherein one of said bearing block and said arm has teeth on a sidefacing a wall of said slot and said wall of said slot at a correspondinglocation is also provided with similar teeth engageable with said teethon one of said bearing block and said arm.
 7. The improvement accordingto claim 4 wherein said body is substantially longer than it is wide andwherein said locking means comprises at least one screw secured in awall of said slot and engages said arm can be operated from the narrowside of said body.
 8. The improvement according to claim 4, wherein saidbody has a threaded nut adjacent said remote end, said threaded nutbeing engaged by an adjusting screw which engages at least one of saidarm and said bearing block to effect a movement of said bearing blocklongitudinally of said slot.
 9. The improvement according to claim 8,wherein at least one of said bearing block and said arm has a secondthreaded nut thereon, said second threaded nut being engaged by saidadjusting screw.
 10. The improvement according to claim 9, wherein saidsecond threaded nut has a longitudinally extending slot therein todefine a clamping means acting onto said second threaded nut.
 11. Theimprovement according to claim 1, wherein said body has means defining aguide surface thereon for guiding said adjusting device for movementrelative to said output lever and means for securing said adjustingdevice to said output lever.
 12. The improvement according to claim 11,wherein said securing means comprises means for urging said guidesurface means into a frictional engagement with said output lever. 13.The improvement according to claim 11, wherein said guide surface meanscomprises a guide surface and means defining a second slot which isarranged behind said guide surface and extends parallel thereto, saidguide surface being flexible into and out of said frictional engagementwith said output lever.
 14. The improvement according to claim 4,wherein said arm comprises a paiR of spaced and parallel arms attachedto said bearing block, said output lever being received between saidarms and movable with respect thereto.